Cold Temperatures Didn't Kill Cape Cod's Frozen Shark, Experts Say

This story was updated at 10:08 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 8.

DENNIS, MA — Abnormally low temperatures on Cape Cod caused a number of problems for residents, but it wasn't an issue for the most famous shark in the area this week.

For a quick backstory: over the weekend, a local photographer posted a photo of an ice-covered shark on a Dennis beach. The shark had clearly washed ashore, but it was unclear what the cause of death was.

With temperatures in the negatives and windchill numbers in the negative 30s, it's easy to understand why Cape Cod residents thought the shark may have frozen to death. But an expert on the Cape clarified that it isn't the case.

John Chisolm is a shark biologist in Massachusetts and explained to Patch that this particular shark is a porbeagle.

Porbeagles are common off Massachusetts year-round, meaning that the cold is no bother to them.

"This shark is built for cold water and although it was found frozen on the beach that was not the cause of death," said Chisolm.

"It washed up on the beach then froze. We’re not sure whether it was sick or if just bad luck getting stuck in shallow water then stranded by the tide."

Chisholm noted that this is the sixth porbeagle to wash up this season.

Teri Frady, the research communications chief for NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center, agreed that it's unlikely the shark would have frozen to death.

"Porbeagle sharks are common off Massachusetts year-round and generally prefer colder water," said Frady. "Healthy sharks tend not to freeze in the water, so this one was likely either already stranded before the freeze or was in the process and the sudden drop in temps hastened its decline."

"It could have also been dead before it washed ashore from completely different causes," Frady added.

This porbeagle, Chisholm said, had its tail, dorsal fin, pectoral fin and teeth removed after it washed ashore, which is illegal according to state and federal regulations.

The shark shouldn't be confused with the North Atlantic white sharks that populate the waters off Cape Cod in the summer. Those sharks head to warmer temperatures once the waters start to dip in temperatures, populating areas in the southeastern Unites States from South Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico.